Shan State
/ˈʃæn steɪt/noun
A major administrative region in eastern Myanmar, historically inhabited chiefly by Shan and other Tai-speaking peoples.
Did you know?“Shan” is generally understood as a Burmese exonym, while many Shan people identify themselves as Tai—a name shared across a much wider cultural world, including Thailand and parts of southern China.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient period
Tai languages
Tai
“An indigenous self-designation used by many related Tai-speaking peoples; its deeper meaning is debated.”
Medieval period
Chinese
掸 (Shǎn)
“A Chinese designation associated with Shan/Tai peoples and territories to the southwest.”
Medieval Burmese
Burmese
ရှမ်း (Shan)
“The Burmese name for the Shan people; this became the principal English form.”
19th Century
English
Shan States
“British colonial usage for the numerous hereditary Shan principalities in the region.”
1948
English
Shan State
“The name adopted for the Shan State within independent Burma, now Myanmar.”
Modern English
English
Shan State
“A state of Myanmar, officially one of the country’s major administrative regions.”